Aussie Whale Save
Location: Peregian Beach, Queensland, Australia Date: August 16, 1991 Story August 16, 1991, was a warm and sunny winter day on the north coast of Queensland, Australia. Peregian Beach, near Mooloolaba, was full of tourists and local townspeople enjoying the afternoon sun and surf. Lifeguards patrolled the beaches, making sure that surfers didn't get too close to swimmers, and that swimmers stayed in safe areas of the water. Lifeguard supervisor Scott Braby was completing his normal patrol when he noticed a humpback whale close to the shore--about fifty feet from the beach. As Scott watched in astonishment, several large waves broke over the whale, propelling it into very shallow water, where it ran aground. Nearby swimmers and sunbathers rushed over to the stuck whale and began gently rocking it back and forth, trying to get it off the sandy bottom and back into deep water. More people rallied around the whale, and a call was put out over beach bullhorns to recruit people with blankets and sheets. When these were volunteered, they were soaked with cold seawater and draped over the whale. In addition, children brought their sand buckets, which adults filled with water to pour over the whale. The volunteers--would-be-rescuers--knew that they needed to keep the whale wet; the hot, bright sun threatened it with dehydration and sunburn. They continued to bathe the whale with briny water while they waited for professionals to come to their aid. The first expert to appear was Chris Warner, the curator of the local Sea World. Chris arrived shortly after the beaching, and realized that the great whale was in serious danger. The tide was on its way out, and would soon strand the whale on open beach. Chris knew that the whale could also, as he put it, "boil in its own blubber" given the hot, sunny weather conditions. As more people flocked around the whale to help, Chris directed them to do two things. First, he recommended that a number of people stay by the whale's head, trying to keep it underwater. This would help the whale keep cool, and also help it breathe normally. Second, he warned people to stay away from the whale's tail. Chris estimated that this whale weighed thirty tons. Its tail alone would weigh approximately four tons! Chris knew that if the whale began thrashing, its tail could kill some of the very people trying to help it. In response to Chris' call, the next expert to arrive was the Sea World rescue coordinator, Trevor Long. As head of the Sea World Rescue Team, Trevor had helped to save many different kinds of sea animals. However, he had never seen anything like the scene at Peregian Beach! As he approached the whale, he immediately recognized the danger to the volunteers. He also warned them to say clear of the whale's tail Chris and Trevor assessed the situation. They knew that usually a whale will beach itself only when it is ready to die. They carefully examined this whale--peering into its eyes and feeling its blowhole--and determined that this whale was not sick or ready to die. They believed that if they could successfully get the whale back into open water, it might very well survive. They decided that their best course of action was to tow the whale out to sea using a large vessel. So Trevor called Sea World and asked that Sea World's sixty-foot rescue ship make its way to Peregian Beach. In the meantime, waves were washing over the whale, and their strength was threatening to turn the whale upside down. Trevor and Chris knew that if this happened, the whale's blowhole would be submerged and it would drown. They instructed the volunteers to push against the strength of the waves and try to keep the whale upright. The two men then headed off to Sea World, where they began to design and put together a "whale sling". While the sun set and night came over the beach, wet-suited volunteers continued to care for the whale. Because the temperature dropped quickly once the sun set, and the seawater was so cold, the volunteers worked in thirty-minute shifts only. For half an hour at a time they would stand chest-high in the chilly water, splashing the whale, trying to keep it upright and as wet and calm as possible. Because there were so many people willing to help, and because such enormous effort was required, many people couldn't even touch the whale. Rather, they pushed on the backs of other people who pushed on the whale itself! In the meantime, Chris and Trevor worked out a makeshift sling. They needed something they could hook around the whale and attach to the Sea World rescue boat. They realized that the sling would have to be self-releasing, because once the whale get to open water, it might try to swim away quickly while still in the sling, which could capsize the rescue boat! Neither men had experience in rescuing such a large creature. Trevor had helped to save sharks, but never an animal this big. Chris' background was in engineering, so he had some ideas on how to most easily move the whale. Working together through the night, the two men came up with something that would suit their purpose. When they returned to Peregian Beach the next morning, they were greeted by a frightening sight. During the night the tide had receded, so that the whale was now almost completely surrounded by sand. Although the sun was hidden by clouds and the day was not too hot, Trevor and Chris could see that the whale was in much worse shape than the previous day. Breathing had become difficult, and it almost seemed as though the whale had given up the will to live. Because the tide was so low, the crew wouldn't be able to use the sling. They needed to wait until the tide came back up and the whale was at least partially submerged. The experts knew that their only chance to save the whale would happen at high tide, which was due at midday. Almost eighteen hours had passed since the whale was first stranded, and everyone present knew that time was running out for it. The volunteers began to dig at the sand around the whale, using shovels. Their aim was to create a trough out to deep water. Using bullhorns, a call for help was put out to any adult on the beach with a wet suit. Trevor and Chris could see that they needed bigger equipment to move the wet sand. When one man asked what he could do to help, Trevor jokingly replied that the man could dig a channel through the surf to open water. Before Trevor knew what was happening, the man returned with a huge digger! He also rounded up some of his fellow construction workers, and the large machines set to work digging a channel for the whale. Trevor remembers being extremely impressed by the hardworking construction workers. He knew that their equipment was essential to their ability to earn a living, and that they were endangering their machines by driving them right into the pounding surf. As he noted, "if they drowned their machines, they drowned their livelihoods!" As they worked toward the midday high tide deadline, everyone knew they were working against time. One rescue worker remembers thinking that if they didn't act quickly enough, the large machines would be used to bury the whale, not rescue it. As the tide rose, the whale began to feel water around its huge body. It began to flap its tail gently and emit soft calls from its blowhole. Trevor and Chris knew that this increased activity also increased the danger to the rescuers, but they both sensed that the whale knew that the people were trying to help it. They remarked late that the whale remained calm and didn't harm a single volunteer. When at last the tide was high enough to almost cover the whale, it was time to harness it. While the rescue boat waited just beyond the breakers, the two men made their way through the roaring surf and tried again and again to get the loops of the sling over the whale's pectoral fins. Trevor remarked that this procedure was about as easy as "putting tight jeans on in a crowded, moving bus!" When they were finally successful in attaching the sling, they gave the all-clear signal to the rescue boat. The rescue boat began pulling the whale off the beach and out to sea. When it became obvious that all their hard work had paid off, and the whale was indeed free from the sand, the huge crowd began to scream and cheer. One rescue worker remembers the sound of 7,000 people--for that's how many people had gathered--cheering and clapping. She turned away from the crowd so that no one would see the tears welling up in her eyes, only to catch sight of the Australian Minister for the Environment standing nearby, also with tears in his eyes! Trevor, Chris, and all of the rescue workers are justifiably proud of their efforts. Through their hard work and effective teamwork, they were able to save the life of a magnificent creature. Chris notes that this was a chance to undo some of the damage that mankind has inflicted on the environment. It was an opportunity to reverse the current trend toward the destruction of our planet. During the long rescue effort, everyone was a hero, and Australia should be proud! Category:1991 Category:Australia Category:Animal Rescues